Cheap Lanyards with Logo: How to Keep the Unit Cost Low

Cheap lanyards with a logo come from a few choices made before the quote: order the quantity you will really use, compare two strap widths, print one side in one or two colours and pick a simple attachment. Ask for a safety breakaway clasp too, because on our lanyard it is agreed per order rather than assumed.

This guide is for event organisers, office managers and HR teams who need company lanyards for a conference, a trade fair, visitor passes or a new office, and want the unit cost to stay sensible without ending up with something that frays or looks cheap. It explains which decisions move the price, what to put in your request and which low-cost items sit well next to a lanyard on an event table. For the event-day side of lanyards (badge types, colour coding, distribution at the door), read our sibling guide to custom lanyards for events.

What makes lanyards with logo cheap or expensive

A lanyard looks like a simple product, and it is, which is exactly why small choices show up in the unit price. Four things do most of the work:

• Quantity against the batch size. Our Custom Event Lanyard is quote-only and shows price on request. The product page explains that its indicative price is for a basic, undecorated configuration based on batches of 100 units, and that decoration, preparation and delivery are charged separately.
• Strap width. Before production we agree the strap width with you. A wider strap carries a bigger logo, but it also uses more material, so ask the quote to price the width you want and one narrower option.
• Print. A logo on one side in one or two colours is usually the simplest artwork to produce. Full-colour designs and print on both sides add work. The technique is confirmed according to your design, so share the artwork early.
• Hardware. The type of attachment and the safety clasp are agreed before production too. Every extra fitting (a second clip, a detachable buckle, a card holder) is a line in the quote.

Nothing here is exotic. The goal is to know which levers exist, so that you can choose where to spend and where to save rather than accepting a default.

Quantity versus minimum: buy what you will use

The cheapest unit price is not always the cheapest order. Lanyards for a single event tend to be ordered once and used once, so overbuying 300 to save a few pence per unit only makes sense if the extra straps have a home.

A few practical rules help:

• Count real wearers. Staff, speakers, exhibitors, visitors and contractors, plus a small spare for late registrations and breakages. Write the split into your request.
• Keep the logo neutral if you want to reuse them. If the strap carries only your logo and not the event name or date, the leftover stock becomes visitor lanyards for the office or straps for the next fair.
• Ask for two quantities in one quote. The quote form lets you state the quantity you need; add a second figure in the notes so you can see how the unit price moves between, for example, 100 and 250.

The minimum order for the Custom Event Lanyard is confirmed in the quote rather than fixed on the page, so give your realistic number and let the proposal show what is possible.

Strap width, print and colours: where the cost sits

When people search for cheap custom lanyards, they usually mean "a decent strap with our logo that does not eat the event budget". The table sets out the main choices and how each one tends to affect the unit price. It is a planning aid, not a price list; the figures come in your quote.

Two points are worth stressing. First, a repeated logo along the strap often reads better than one large mark, because lanyards twist and fold when worn. Second, the colour of the strap and the colour of the print should contrast clearly, which matters more for a cheap lanyard than for an expensive one: a low-contrast logo is the quickest way to make a budget strap look budget.

Safety breakaway and attachments

For staff and visitors who wear a strap around the neck all day, ask for a safety breakaway clasp. The event lanyard page says that the safety clasp is agreed before production, so name it in your request and check it appears in the written specification. Do not assume it is included until the quote says so.

The attachment at the bottom of the strap depends on what hangs from it:

• Printed badges or cards usually hang from a simple clip or hook.
• Keys or access fobs for office lanyards may need a sturdier fitting.
• Badge holders are a separate item; ask in the quote if you need them supplied.

The model and its specifications are confirmed in writing, and you approve a digital proof that shows the placement, size and colour of your branding before production starts.

Company lanyards for offices versus promotional lanyards for events

The same product can do two different jobs, and the job changes how you should spec it.

Company lanyards for offices are worn every day by staff or handed to visitors at reception. They need to last, so it is worth paying for the elements people notice: a comfortable strap, a reliable clasp and a clean logo. Keep the design free of dates so the stock lasts months, and order a quantity that covers new starters as well as the current team.

Promotional lanyards for events are worn for one or two days, sometimes by people who will never visit your office. Here the logic flips: keep the spec simple, print one side, and put the effort into the event branding and colour coding. If you want the strap to be kept after the event, make it look good enough to reuse rather than plastering it with sponsor logos.

Personalised lanyards with individual names are a different request again. Whether names can be added depends on the technique agreed for your design, so ask in the quote. Many organisers keep the strap generic and put the name on the badge instead, which is cheaper and avoids reprints for late registrations.

Low-cost items to pair with event lanyards

If the lanyard is part of a wider welcome table or stand, a few low-cost catalogue items fill the gap between "just a badge" and a full gift. These are priced in the catalogue:

Prices are starting prices shown in the catalogue on 15 October 2026, ex VAT; printing and delivery are extra, UK import VAT and duties are paid on delivery.

A simple welcome set for a conference might be a lanyard, the Custom Simple Pen from £0.36 ex VAT and a sheet of Holo Die-Cut Stickers from £1.47 ex VAT. For exhibitors or speakers, the Canvas Market Tote Bag from £3.93 ex VAT can carry the programme and anything else you hand out, and the Loop Sticker Pack from £4.25 ex VAT, delivered in a branded kraft paper sleeve according to its page, works as a small extra for people who stop at your stand. For more ideas by budget, our promotional pens and printed tote bags pages list the full ranges, and our guide to event and trade show merchandise covers the rest of the stand.

How to write a lanyard request that gets a clear price

A good request saves a round of emails and shows you the real unit cost faster. Include:

• the number of lanyards, and a second quantity if you want to compare;
• your logo as a vector PDF, SVG or EPS (a high-resolution PNG with a transparent background can also work);
• the strap colour you want and the colour of the print;
• one side or both sides;
• the attachment type and whether you need badge holders;
• a request for a safety breakaway clasp;
• the delivery address and the date the lanyards must arrive.

Production takes 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, confirmed in the quote. Count back from the event date, allow time for approving the proof and for delivery, and send the request early.

Zintora delivers across the UK and internationally to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. For multi-site events, give each destination in the request and the quote confirms delivery to each one.

Sustainability without inflating the price

The event lanyard page does not attribute an environmental certification to the product; we can confirm composition, origin and packaging in the proposal. The only certificate we name is the GRS of The Tenth House, checked per lot; certificates for other products are available on request. The cheapest sustainable choice is usually the one already covered above: a neutral design that is reused for the next event instead of thrown away. Our sustainability page explains how we handle material claims.

Cheap lanyards checklist

• Number of wearers counted, with a small spare
• Two quantities requested so the unit price can be compared
• Strap width chosen, with one narrower option priced
• Print on one side or both sides decided
• One or two colours, with strong contrast against the strap
• Attachment type stated, badge holders added if needed
• Safety breakaway clasp requested and confirmed in the quote
• Logo sent as a vector file
• Event date and delivery address in the request
• Low-cost extras chosen for the welcome table

Frequently asked questions

How do I keep lanyards with logo cheap?

Order a realistic quantity, ask for two quantities to compare, keep the print to one side in one or two colours, choose a simple attachment and avoid event dates on the strap so leftovers can be reused.

What does the Custom Event Lanyard cost?

It is quote-only and shows price on request. The page explains that its indicative price is for a basic, undecorated configuration based on batches of 100 units, with decoration, preparation and delivery charged separately.

Does the lanyard come with a safety breakaway clasp?

The safety clasp is agreed before production. Ask for a safety breakaway clasp in your request and check it is written into the quote.

What is the minimum order for company lanyards?

For the Custom Event Lanyard, the minimum order is confirmed in the quote. Other event items state their own minimums, for example 50 for the Canvas Market Tote Bag and 250 for the Custom Simple Pen.

Can I see the design before production?

Yes. You receive a digital proof showing the position, size and colour of your logo, and production starts only after you approve it.

Planning a wider event or office order? See our branded merchandise page and use cases, browse the catalogue or request a quote with your quantity, strap colour, print and event date. A specialist replies to every request.